Sunday, May 25, 2014

And what better way to show the meaning of those connections than to exchange artwork. The question was, what should I weave?

There were plenty of options. Dogs (I've already painted them), Loons (she has enough), the Adirondacks....and then I remembered the wild daffodils.

This winter stretched out longer than necessary, spring struggled to break through. I remembered a conversation when she announced the blooming of the wild daffodils in the field outside her window.. My idea was planted.

It didn't take long to design. I was constrained by a 3.5 inch warp so I knew the flower would grow on the horizontal.

I used quite a bit of handspun, no doubt some of the fleece she has sent me over the years.

And of course I took pictures as I wove, she'd feel incomplete not seeing the process.

Sunday, May 11, 2014

If that is the start of your design idea I empathize with you. How complicated could you possible get? This winter I received an email inviting me to contribute to a local exhibit based on this idea. My first reaction was no.

But I like a challenge. This is a big one for me.

Artists were given a list of questions from which to choose. It was a broad template and the options were many. I wanted to weave a small face portrait, after all time is of the essence when you are talking tapestry.

I chose: What are the different expressions of love?

Expressions of love are difficult. There are those who never know what exactly they are supposed to do on any given occasion., i.e., I thought that's what she wanted and she cried...not for joy. It's a tangled web. Weavers know that.

I'm still confused, but here is the result. I even wrote a poem.

It's More Than Flowers

What do you really want?
It's so difficult to know.
Was there more you should have said?
You told me you didn't want much
and
I thought the flowers would be enough...

It's More Than Flowers, 6 x 12 inches

For those in Wisconsin the show is at Absolutely Art, with an opening on June 6.